Roi Buying A Fully Loaded Model Versus A Basic Model

[HappyInCM]

For a luxury car like a mercedes, I would guess the fully loaded model would be in much higher demand on re-sale so may be a better investment.

But for let's say a Camry or a Civic/City, would one get ones money back or would people always be comparing it to the base new model?

[JeffreyMcCollum]

^{Buying a car is 99.99% of the time a poor "investment"}

Buy what you want or need and don't worry about what the next guy may or may not do

[stevenl]

In the places that I know the resale value of the basic model is relatively much, much better, the extras only use it to make the life of the owner comfortable.

In Thailand I would say the ROI on the extras is better compared to other places.

[ignis]

2 year or so down the road they appear to be about the same price, so yes better resale for base models..

OK if it is only a car to sit in the drive, but to drive do you really want a new car without ABS or airbags ?

[bkkjames]

For me, and I guess the same for many people, when one considers how much time one spends in their chosen auto, getting a few nice touches is worth it. Of course this depends on each persons needs, a couple of guys delivering parcels all day dont need leather and dvd screens but commuting to/fro the office and upcountry on weekends etc it's nice to have some creature comforts.

ROI wise, you don't need leather and dvd i guess but there is an emotional attachment to your car (for most) so why not spend a little extra for some things you might enjoy and use regularly?

[VocalNeal]

Extras and widgets will not effect resale, if you trade it in. They will only effect what the dealer charges for it.

Like Jeremy says mentioning the words investment or ROI when discussing vehicle purchase is asinine it like saying one invests in a refrigerator.

General advise? Buy the base model of the most expensive car you can afford.

[sotsira]

Many extras offered on new cars today are pointless or rarely used ie: reversing cameras, tv's, cruise control, electric seats, leather...

Other extras that offer safety like airbags are a must,

so is a/c, tinted windows, music player & usb plug.

conclusion: get the necessary extras and forget the rest as you'll never get a return on them when you come to sell the car.

Most importantly the condition and mileage is what keeps the resale value as high as possible.

[stevenl]

Many extras offered on new cars today are pointless or rarely used ie: reversing cameras, tv's, cruise control, electric seats, leather...

Other extras that offer safety like airbags are a must,

so is a/c, tinted windows, music player & usb plug.

conclusion: get the necessary extras and forget the rest as you'll never get a return on them when you come to sell the car.

Most importantly the condition and mileage is what keeps the resale value as high as possible.

These things are very personal though. I use my reversing camera everytime I reverse, which is daily, love cruise control, could not do without leather seats, etc.

[taninthai]

Had a car with in screen DVD player built in for 6 months now it's never even had a cd or DVD in it and doubt it ever will why the fuc_k do I want to watch a DVD while im in the car

Sure it makes it a bit easier/quicker to sell if there is 2 exact cars for sale one with DVD screen one without you are always gonna pick the one with andcthats exactly how I ended up with my in car DVD that I will never use.....

[culicine]

I would say the car with least relative depreciation would be the base auto - my 2.0 civic is about the same in the second hand market as the 1.7 , 8 years down the track (2.0 might be at more 10-20K more), but was about 100K or so different when new. So a base auto city/jazz is a good buy, but you miss some of the goodies of the top models, but actually many of these (like alarms), fog lights, can be fitted cheaply as aftermarket parts.

[sotsira]

Many extras offered on new cars today are pointless or rarely used ie: reversing cameras, tv's, cruise control, electric seats, leather...

Other extras that offer safety like airbags are a must,

so is a/c, tinted windows, music player & usb plug.

conclusion: get the necessary extras and forget the rest as you'll never get a return on them when you come to sell the car.

Most importantly the condition and mileage is what keeps the resale value as high as possible.

These things are very personal though. I use my reversing camera everytime I reverse, which is daily, love cruise control, could not do without leather seats, etc.

Yes, they are personal but not necessary, i,ve been driving for 30yrs and never needed a reverse camera to see where i'm

reversing and have never reversed into anything, cruise control is only worth having if you do many long distance motorway

driving, and leather seats look great but are not as comfortable as cloth seats especially in a hot climate.

The main point here is in answering the OP's question as to whether the added costs of all these extras are recoverable when

reselling the vehicle, and in my opinion they are not.

[bkkjames]

Many extras offered on new cars today are pointless or rarely used ie: reversing cameras, tv's, cruise control, electric seats, leather...

Other extras that offer safety like airbags are a must,

so is a/c, tinted windows, music player & usb plug.

conclusion: get the necessary extras and forget the rest as you'll never get a return on them when you come to sell the car.

Most importantly the condition and mileage is what keeps the resale value as high as possible.

These things are very personal though. I use my reversing camera everytime I reverse, which is daily, love cruise control, could not do without leather seats, etc.

Yes, they are personal but not necessary, i,ve been driving for 30yrs and never needed a reverse camera to see where i'm

reversing and have never reversed into anything, cruise control is only worth having if you do many long distance motorway

driving, and leather seats look great but are not as comfortable as cloth seats especially in a hot climate.

The main point here is in answering the OP's question as to whether the added costs of all these extras are recoverable when

reselling the vehicle, and in my opinion they are not.

kinda of a weak argument IMO, kindly like saying I have been watching a CRT TV for 20 years and dont need a New Flatscreen TV to watch tv. so many factors in determining the resale value of a vehicle as you know. Leather seats in a hot climate are not hot with the air on. Anyways, everyone is entitled to their opinion , cheers

[culicine]

I've never been in a car more than a few years old with good looking cloth seats, especially light coloured ones. Leather isn't all that hot and is so much easier to clean (and wipe off kid's vomit lol)

[stevenl]

I've never been in a car more than a few years old with good looking cloth seats, especially light coloured ones. Leather isn't all that hot and is so much easier to clean (and wipe off kid's vomit lol)

True, so for some it is an essential and for others it isn't. That was what I was trying to say.

In general for all the extras you get hardly anything, unless you bump into to somebody for who the extras are essentials (and is willing to pay for it).

[ignis]

everyone is entitled to their opinion

and needs, 2004 bought a new to Thailand Honda Jazz, seats were a nightmare, no would never buy a car without leather [have 6 long haired dogs, try cleaning all the hair off cloth seats]

For me electric seats are pointless, I buy a car and set the seat, the new owner can move the seat after I have sold it.. same as USB plug and DVD, cruise control. Park assist, rear cameras would never use in the car..

see already the difference in added options or models....... For me MUST is ABS, Airbags, Power steering, Leather, Climate control, elec windows and 40% Film window tint.... Throw in a 3 doer hatch would be perfect.. Audi A1 is to expensive and still to new.

[mogandave]

I love having Bluetooth in my new Isuzu. Get in and the my phone works hand's-free without taking it out of my pocket. Also, with 3G and the TuneIn appI I get hundreds of English speaking radio stations.

I can remember when I thought AC in a car was stupid.

[funcat]

...my guess is, the Ferrari Daytona "classic" would be a good choice for ROI...did they have an AC back there ?!

[steveromagnino]

2nd hand cars hold their value pretty well in Thailand. Each model is different, but certainly in general buying right at the beginning of a new production model run will work better (if you can sell still in the same production run 5-6 years later) than buying midway and ending up a model behind.

Extras from the factory carry a premium over aftermarket extras, so for instance those bigger non factory spec rims are easily able to be negotiated down to zero more so than a higher specced car with slightly bigger rims; for this reason alone if you are going to buy a car and have the chance to get the spec you want out of the showroom, it may prove better to get it all done factory spec, rather than saving a little doing it aftermarket, which will tend to be worth nothing later on.

Leather looks and lasts way better than cloth, but that's a personal preference, as are many other things like reversing cameras etc.

At least in Thailand, the brands where there is a made in Thailand and an imported variant of the same car type excluding specialty models (such as BMW 3 series vs. 1 series), I would guess made in Thailand in percentage terms does a little better for resale; as do the more common variants in many cases; however that is overshadowed by brand specifics where some brands drop a lot in value and others drop far slower, just based on reputation, preference and access to finance/servicing for the 2nd hand buyers.

Audi A1 is a lovely little car, but for 2.7m GREY market only, to get 185HP, it isn't going to be a car that one buys for low depreciation; Audi A3s and the like around 12 years old drop a lot in value, far more than say the Mini, which is the 'exception that proves the rule' for a lot of depreciation statistics.

[Rancid]

Had a car with in screen DVD player built in for 6 months now it's never even had a cd or DVD in it and doubt it ever will why the fuc_k do I want to watch a DVD while im in the car

Sure it makes it a bit easier/quicker to sell if there is 2 exact cars for sale one with DVD screen one without you are always gonna pick the one with andcthats exactly how I ended up with my in car DVD that I will never use.....

I've used the DVD player for the kids and missus to watch a movie on a long trip. The touch screen also doubles as the Sat/Nav, but agree as a general rule don't often play DVDs.

[sezze]

2 year or so down the road they appear to be about the same price, so yes better resale for base models..

OK if it is only a car to sit in the drive, but to drive do you really want a new car without ABS or airbags ?

To drive , sure no problem . For crashing it , well that's different .

Base models are always better value . The options are simply to make you feel happy with your car , but do not bring extra cash when selling , unless something special ( like 4x4 vs 2x4 , or a Subaru WRX vs standard ...etc ) .

[bkkjames]

ROI and buying a car seems strange to me unless you are talking about a classic model or something.

[mogandave]

Just because something is worth less when you sell it then when you buy it does not mean ROI is not a concern.

As with any piece of equipment, the biggest "return" is being able to use it. The more you like driving the car, the more valuable the use of it is.

Generally speaking, base model cars hold their value better than fully loaded models, but keep in mind you don’t get the added benefit the additional options if you go with the base model. Whether or not the additional options have any value depends on the individual driver/owner.

I’ve had quite a few cars and trucks and I say find a car that you like the look and feel of and if you can afford it, go with it. Don’t get too caught up in tying to get the best deal, and most importantly, once you buy it, quit shopping.

I got tired of spending money I didn’t have buying crap I didn’t want to impress people I didn’t like.